ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE  May 13, 2025 1:40 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Jesse Bjorkman, Chair Senator Löki Tobin, Vice Chair Senator Jesse Kiehl Senator Bert Stedman Senator Mike Shower COMMITTEE CALENDAR  PRESENTATION(S): TENTATIVE ADVERTISING SCHEDULE (TAS) AND FEDERAL FUNDING UPDATE~ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES (DOTPF) - HEARD PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  No previous action to record WITNESS REGISTER ANDY MILLS, Special Assistant Office of the Commissioner Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the Tentative Advertising Schedule (TAS) and Federal Funding Update presentation. DOM PANNONE, Director Program Management and Administration Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the Tentative Advertising Schedule (TAS) and Federal Funding Update. KIRK MILLER, Preconstruction Engineer Southcoast Region Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the Tentative Advertising Schedule (TAS) and Federal Funding Update. LUKE BOWLAND, Preconstruction Engineer Central Region Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the Tentative Advertising Schedule (TAS) and Federal Funding Update. ALBERT BECK, Preconstruction Engineer Northern Region Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the Tentative Advertising Schedule (TAS) and Federal Funding Update. ACTION NARRATIVE 1:40:27 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN called the Senate Transportation Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:40 p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Tobin, Shower, Stedman, Kiehl and Chair Bjorkman. ^PRESENTATION(S): TENTATIVE ADVERTISING SCHEDULE (TAS) AND FEDERAL FUNDING UPDATE, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) PRESENTATION(S): TENTATIVE ADVERTISING SCHEDULE (TAS) AND  FEDERAL FUNDING UPDATE, Department of Transportation and Public  Facilities (DOTPF)  1:41:06 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN announced the presentation, Tentative Advertising Schedule (TAS) and Federal Funding Update by Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF). 1:42:01 PM ANDY MILLS, Special Assistant, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), Juneau, Alaska, said this presentation would provide an update on the Tentative Advertising Schedule (TAS) and federal funding. He gave a brief overview of the presentation. He noted that the information on the slides is the same information DOTPF has given to the Association of General Contractors (AGC). 1:43:46 PM SENATOR TOBIN asked about the conversations DOTPF has had with ACG. 1:44:25 PM MR. MILLS deferred the question. 1:45:14 PM MR. MILLS noted that the preconstruction engineers would taking part in the presentation. 1:45:31 PM MR. MILLS advanced to slide 2 and discussed project delivery: [Original punctuation provided.] Project and Program Delivery Update • Utility Relocations included in project scope - Build America/Buy America (BABA) compliance • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Cold Weather Construction • Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Alaska Office Update • August Redistribution is the focus on track and working with FHWA MR. MILLS discussed Build America/Buy America (BABA) compliance, which is hindering project delivery. He said DOTPF is taking the utility relocation elements and placing them into the construction contract, rather than working directly with the utility. He stated that this is not the normal procedure and is not preferred; however, it is a plausible path that allows DOTPF to advance those projects. He briefly explained how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Cold Weather Construction includes a provision that allows DOTPF to commit some funding prior to an agreement. This allows DOTPF to consider accelerating certain projects. 1:49:59 PM DOM PANNONE, Director, Program Management and Administration, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), Juneau, Alaska, referred to slide 2 and provided a federal funding update: [Original punctuation provided.] Project and Program Delivery Update • Utility Relocations included in project scope - Build America/Buy America (BABA) compliance • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Cold Weather Construction • Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Alaska Office Update • August Redistribution is the focus on track and working with FHWA MR. PANNONE said that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Alaska Office is 33 percent staffed (roughly 2/3 of the positions are vacant). He briefly discussed the new division administrator. He recognized the effort of DOTPF staff who have worked on project delivery. 1:51:48 PM MR. PANNONE advanced to slide 3 and discussed the current year's FHWA funding: [Original punctuation provided.] Current Year Federal Funding: FHWA Pre-August Redistribution, 4/30/2025: $581,544,416 Obligated to Date: $244.7M Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) Amendment 2 in final stages of review MR. PANNONE said the $244.7 million is obligated formula funds, which are subject to limitation. An additional $100 million has been obligated - those funds are not subject to limitation. He explained that "limitation" refers to the amount of allocated funding that DOTPF can spend each year. The current year's limitation is $581 million. August redistribution could be $126 million (this is in addition to the $581 million). 1:53:01 PM MR. PANNONE advanced to slide 4 and discussed movement on grants from the prior administration. Slide 4 contains a chart showing a recent batch of approved grants. These include two SMART grants and funding for small community air service and avalanche mitigation. He noted positive discussions with federal-state government liaisons regarding the rural ferry program. 1:54:06 PM MR. PANNONE advanced to slide 5 and discussed future federal funding: [Original punctuation provided.] Future Federal Funding May 2, 2025: Trump Administrations released a slimmed- down Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2026 budget request to Congress. The bill reflected an overall increase of 5.8 percent in funding levels from FFY2025. • INFRA Discretionary Grants: $2.3 billion ($770M above FY2025 levels) • FRA CRISI Grants: $1.5 billion ($400M above FY2025 levels) • FAA Essential Air Service: $142 million ($308M below FY2025 levels) • MARAD Port Infrastructure: $1 billion ($500M above FY2025 levels) Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Federal Rail Administration (FRA) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Maritime Administration (MARAD) MR. PANNONE said DOTPF is monitoring the funding to ensure it aligns with the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). DOTPF is working with state partners to advocate for viable programs that will benefit Alaskans. 1:55:07 PM SENATOR TOBIN repeated her earlier question about how DOTPF is communicating with AGC about the future of federal funding. She referred to a letter from AGC that mentioned quarterly meetings and asked for an update about those conversations. 1:55:39 PM MR. PANNONE noted an increase in meetings with AGC and said the preconstruction engineers would provide additional information. 1:56:25 PM MR. MILLS added that DOTPF recently had a constructive conversation with the Alaska Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). He briefly discussed the meeting and provided examples. He shared his understanding that ACEC co-authored the letter along with AGC. 1:57:18 PM SENATOR SHOWER asked about the timeline for the Point MacKenzie rail extension funding. 1:57:40 PM MR. MILLS said that there is no specific timeframe; however, an award usually comes within six months of funding approval. He offered to provide additional details when available. 1:58:24 PM KIRK MILLER, Preconstruction Engineer, Southcoast Region, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), Juneau, Alaska, advanced to slide 6 and explained that each region would provide an overview of the expected project bid advertisements on the TAS. He said TAS is organized by region and includes projects that DOTPF anticipates will advertise in the next 12 months. Projects are removed from TAS as they are advertised, and new projects are added. He briefly discussed the TAS website. 1:59:13 PM MR. MILLER advanced to slide 7 and discussed the Southcoast Region TAS current confidence assessment: [Original punctuation provided.] Southcoast Region TAS Current Confidence Assessment • 28 Projects are on the current SR TAS list thru next 12-months totaling $150-$280 million in estimated construction contract awards. • SR project awards have been robust in the past 12-months leading to a busy 2025 construction season and a lighter letting schedule this spring. Recent bid advertisements by SR do include the JNU Glacier Highway Chip Seal Resurfacing Project (advertised April) and the HNS Hwy MP 1-9 Drainage and Repairs (bids opened April). • Near term expected bid advertisements (May July) encompass 8 Projects which include: 3 significant airport rehab projects in Kodiak, Kokhanok and Unalaska, a drainage project in Cold Bay and a resurfacing project in Ketchikan. • SR has over 110 projects under active project development phases through FFY 2029. Substantial design work ongoing for numerous rural airports in SW and SE Alaska, highway corridors in Ketchikan, Chiniak and Klondike highways and marine ferry terminal improvements for SE and SC Alaska ferry ports (8 locations). MR. MILLER emphasized the importance of reliability; however, TAS is tentative due to the potential for unexpected delays. DOTPF works to ensure TAS accuracy. DOTPF holds both monthly and weekly meetings. A regular virtual meeting is attended widely by the contracting community. 2:02:06 PM MR. MILLER advanced to slide 8 and provided a Southcoast region TAS overview for April-July 2025. Slide 8 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He briefly described how the table is organized. Regions are similarly organized (not identical). This data is presented to the public during the monthly virtual meetings (which are attended by contractors). 2:05:18 PM MR. MILLER said there are 8 projects remaining for May and July. He briefly discussed each of these. He noted the Kodiak airport project is the largest project. The Kokhanok airport project could be delayed. 2:07:12 PM SENATOR TOBIN asked if this is a typical number of projects for April-July. 2:07:34 PM MR. MILLER explained that each year is unique and briefly described the process of creating the TAS. He opined that the 2025 April-July TAS is typical; however, it could be considered high due to the cost of the project in Kodiak. 2:08:14 PM MR. MILLER advanced to slide 9 and provided an overview of the Southcoast region TAS for August-November 2025. Slide 9 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He briefly discussed the projects. He pointed out several projects, including one at the Auke Bay ferry terminal. He noted that a project at the Haines airport could be delayed until FY 2027. 2:09:59 PM MR. MILLS noted that "ER" refers to emergency response. 2:10:22 PM MR. MILLER advanced to slide 10 and provided an overview of the Southcoast Region TAS for December 2025 through May 2026. Slide 10 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He said this is a longer-term list. He pointed out a large project in Kodiak, important improvements in Craig, several projects in Petersburg, among others. 2:12:24 PM SENATOR TOBIN noted that large projects can run the risk of losing funding to other higher priority projects and asked how projects are prioritized, particularly in light of the limited funding. She asked how DOTPF can ensure that those much-needed projects will eventually receive funding. 2:13:00 PM MR. MILLER said that funding projects is a challenge and nearly all are federally funded. He offered reassurance that all DOTPF regions work to prioritize projects according to need. He briefly discussed the planning process with respect to airport work. 2:13:57 PM MR. MILLS added that discretionary grants, when available, can offset formula funding. He indicated that DOTPF works with many funding sources to fund the various projects. 2:14:45 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN directed attention to the Ketchikan project on slide 8 and asked to what extent that project was impacted by the recent landslide. 2:15:02 PM MR. MILLER answered that the Ketchikan project is outside of the landslide area and was not affected. He noted that the many steep hillsides in Ketchikan carry the potential for landslides (Juneau and Sitka carry similar landslide potential). 2:15:51 PM LUKE BOWLAND, Preconstruction Engineer, Central Region, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), advanced to slide 11 and gave a brief overview of his presentation. He noted that this data is very similar to the data provided to AGC on May 2, 2025 (some data has been updated to reflect progress since that date). 2:16:24 PM MR. BOWLAND advanced to slide 12 and discussed the Central Region bid calendar: [Original punctuation provided.] Central Region Current Bid Calendar (as of 5/9/2025) • Atwood Building Code Improvements • Central Region Facilities 2025 Job Order Construction Contract • Wasilla Fishhook Rd: East Seldon Rd to Tex-Al Dr Pavement Preservation • Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) Gates N3 and N5 Passenger Boarding Bridge Replacements Design-Build • Petersburg Maintenance Shop Oil Water Separation Systems • ANC Airport Lighting Control System Resiliency DesignBuild • ANC South Terminal Employee Parking Area Improvements • ANC Taxilane V Gate Reconstruction MR. BOWLAND said that these projects are managed by Central region, the statewide public facilities team, and Anchorage International Airport. He noted that the Central Region facilities 2025 Job Order Construction Contract and the Wasilla Fishhook Rd projects opened for bids the previous week. 2:17:26 PM MR. BOWLAND advanced to slide 13 and discussed Central Region Projects currently seeking authorization to advertise (ATA): [Original punctuation provided.] Central Region Projects Current Seeking Authorization to Advertise (ATA) • Hope Highway Milepost 12.9 Pipe Replacement • DeArmoun Rd: E 140th Ave Hillside Dr Pavement Preservation • Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions(AMATS) 88th Ave: Lake Otis Pkwy Abbott Rd Pavement Preservation MR. BOWLAND explained that these projects have been certified by DOTPF and briefly described the certification process. He said that these projects are low risk and should be added to the bid calendar later in May or early June. He said that the Rabbit Creek Pedestrian Bridge (not included on slide 13) has been certified and should be on the TAS later in the month. 2:18:50 PM MR. BOWLAND advanced to slide 14 and provided an overview of Central Region TAS projects for February-May 2025. Slide 14 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He noted that AGC was not given this information. 2:20:04 PM MR. MILLS explained that slide 14 was created for the Senate Transportation Standing Committee and contains previously funded projects; AGC is primarily interested in upcoming/future project data. 2:20:40 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN asked about the partial blue shading on the engineering estimates on the Central Region slides. 2:20:54 PM MR. BOWLAND said the blue shading indicates the estimated cost of the project relative to other projects. 2:22:01 PM MR. MILLS briefly described how the shading is created using a formula. 2:22:50 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN sought to clarify whether the blue shading represents a percentage of the estimate. 2:23:20 PM MR. BOWLAND offered to clarify this further with an example. He advanced to slide 15 and provided an overview of the Central Region TAS for May-September 2025. Slide 15 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He directed attention to the August Sterling Highway project and explained that this project has the highest estimate ($70 million); all other projects are shown in relation to this amount. CHAIR BJORKMAN expressed understanding and asked about the significance of this data. MR. BOWLAND clarified that this was used to highlight lower and higher dollar amount projects. 2:25:09 PM MR. BOWLAND continued to interpret slide 15. He explained the green, yellow, and red risk levels. 2:26:04 PM SENATOR TOBIN noted that DOTPF previously indicated $800 million in spending for the current fiscal year. She asked about the pace of projects to reach that goal and noted that many of the projects listed on slide 15 are yellow (indicating a certain level of risk). She asked for more information on how yellow and red projects transition to green (in terms of risk). 2:27:03 PM MR. BOWLAND said he would address delivery of each project in upcoming slides. He added that yellow is not uncommon for projects that DOTPF is working on, while red is more concerning. 2:27:42 PM MR. BOWLAND advanced to slide 16 and provided an overview of Central Region TAS projects for May 2025. Slide 16 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He briefly discussed each project. He indicated that the Kenai Spur Road project is unlikely to make it to bid by the end of May and expressed hope that it would be out to bid by June. 2:28:45 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN asked for an update on the outstanding utility agreements for the Kenai Spur Road project. 2:29:00 PM MR. BOWLAND replied that there are two outstanding agreements, one with GCI and another with Homer Electric Association (HEA). He explained that the GCI agreement is low risk, and the remaining issues are related to BABA compliance. The Homer Electric agreement is also addressing BABA requirements. He explained the proposed solutions and indicated that there is a path forward for that agreement. He expressed hope that all issues would find resolution in the near future. 2:30:49 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN surmised that utility agreements are similar. He recalled conversations with GCI and HEA regarding utility agreements. He asked what happens when DOTPF agrees to language from one utility but does not approve that same language from another utility. 2:32:13 PM MR. BOWLAND said the agreement with GCI contains the original language from the HEA agreement. However, this language does not necessarily apply to preconstruction agreements. 2:32:53 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN clarified that the agreement with GCI was approved. The HEA agreement was denied - despite the language being the same. He asked why the language was acceptable to DOTPF for GCI but was not acceptable for HEA. 2:33:48 PM MR. BOWLAND said there have been multiple iterations of the language in question. He explained that the language from HEA was further edited before GCI signed. 2:34:17 PM MR. MILLS offered to investigate further. He added that pre- purchased materials can impact the circumstances of the contracts, despite similar contractual language. 2:34:51 PM MR. BOWLAND continued with slide 16. He briefly discussed the status of the projects listed. DOTPF is working with the Alaska Railroad on the remaining utility complication for the Seward Highway MP 90-99 Pavement Preservation project. He said coordination efforts are going well and the project, which is considered minimal risk, will likely shift from May to June TAS. 2:35:58 PM MR. BOWLAND advanced to slide 17 and provided an overview of the Central Region TAS for June and July. Slide 17 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He indicated that the Kachemak Drive, Anchor Point Road, and AMATS: 88th Ave projects likely be out to bid soon. The Anchorage International Airport (ANC) project is facing utility agreement and environmental complications and may be moved to July. The ANC Kulis Ramp, Sterling Highway and Kalifornsky Beach Road projects are on track for June. The Victory Road project is facing utility agreement and encroachment issues but remains on track for July. ANC PFAS remediation and Whittier Tunnel backup generator projects are on track for July. 2:38:57 PM MR. BOWLAND advanced to slide 18 and provided an overview of the Central Region TAS for August and September 2025. Slide 18 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He noted that several projects are yellow, indicating that there is some risk. He briefly discussed each project. He indicated that the Palmer-Fishook project is facing environmental concerns and may be held up until October or November. The Wasilla-Fishook may shift to advertising in the fall. The Sterling Highway project is addressing temporary property interests and has some risk with utility agreements; this project is likely to advertise after September. 2:42:03 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN asked whether the confidence level for the Sterling Highway project has changed since February. 2:42:15 PM MR. BOWLAND replied that the confidence level for that project has been red for quite some time. He continued to discuss the projects on slide 18. The Glenn Highway project is on track for September. He briefly explained the intention and need behind the Hollywood Road project and said this project will likely be moved to later in the fall. The Kenai Spur Highway, Seward Highway, and ANC Taxiway projects are on track for September. 2:45:00 PM MR. MILLS referred to the critical path for the ANC Taxiway project and clarified that "SHPO" is the State Historic Preservation Office. 2:45:19 PM ALBERT BECK, Preconstruction Engineer, Northern Region, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), advanced to slide 20 and shared the Northern Region bid calendar as of May 13, 2025: [Original punctuation provided.] Northern Region Current Bid Calendar as of 5/13/2025  • Buckland Airport Improvements • Copper River Hwy MP 2.4 Drainage Improvements • Cumming Road Surfacing Upgrades • Dalton Highway MP 90-104 Resurfacing 2:45:59 PM MR. BECK advanced to slide 21 and listed the Northern Region projects that are seeking authority to advertise (ATA): [Original punctuation provided.] Northern Region Project Current Seeking ATA  • Chena Ridge Road and Chena Pump Road Resurfacing • Dalton Hwy Yukon River Bridge 0271 Redecking • Fairbanks Area Surface Transportation (FAST) Planning Area Surface Upgrades 2:46:52 PM MR. BECK advanced to slide 22 and provided an overview of the Northern Region TAS for late February through early May 2025. Slide 22 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He said the list is a mix of projects that have been advertised, have open bids, or are still being advertised. He noted the range in project value. He directed attention to the Richardson Highway and Dalton Highway projects and said these were not included in the initial 2025 construction plan. DOTPF accelerated these to provide additional projects to the contracting community. 2:48:24 PM SENATOR KIEHL noted that the Dalton Highway project is estimated to cost $10-20 million and is on day one of advertising. He noted the timing and asked whether DOTPF anticipates that work to be done during the 2025 construction season. 2:48:58 PM MR. BECK replied yes. He said that project was specifically identified as a "fast delivery" project. He explained that the State of Alaska has a materials stockpile that DOTPF made available for the contractor's use (the contractor would replenish materials during the shoulder season). 2:49:37 PM SENATOR KIEHL asked whether the same is true of other large projects on the list. 2:49:51 PM MR. BECK replied that Dalton Highway is unique because of the large supply stockpile. He said DOTPF anticipates that work will begin on many of the projects - though it may carry over to the following year. He explained that the [Richardson Highway 0-7 mile] project is expected to be completed in 2025. 2:50:36 PM SENATOR TOBIN noted the large number of projects and contrasted this with the population density of the Northern region. She asked whether this is a typical preconstruction amount for the Northern region. She asked for context on how this compares to Central region in previous years. 2:51:18 PM MR. BECK replied that he does not have the experience to know whether the volume of projects is typical or how it compares to previous years. He offered to investigate this and provide additional information to the committee. 2:51:51 PM MR. MILLS provided additional context. He agreed that the Northern Region has a smaller population; however, the geographical area is larger than the state of Texas. There are substantial (and costly) infrastructure needs. He noted that the Northern region has a good delivery rate, in spite of being a difficult area for construction (due to permafrost, etc.). 2:52:32 PM SENATOR TOBIN expressed concern and reiterated that she would like to see a comparison between the Northern and Central regions. 2:52:52 PM MR. BOWLAND replied that every project is different, and each year has a different variety of projects, which makes year to year comparison difficult. He said there are a number of projects left to deliver for 2025 along with those that have been delivered. He said that the Central region 2025 project list is similar to the previous 2-3 years. 2:53:34 PM SENATOR SHOWER asked about limited assets, project load, and population density and how this impacts projects for the Central region. 2:54:10 PM MR. MILLS replied that higher population density can create complications for potential right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, among other things. However, rural areas tend to have more historical and cultural sights that must be considered. He stated that it is project and area dependent. 2:54:47 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN asked Mr. Beck to continue his presentation and highlight any challenging projects. 2:55:00 PM MR. BECK advanced to slide 23 and provided an overview of the Northern region TAS for May to August 2025. Slide 23 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He noted an extremely high confidence level. The Chena Pump Road project is currently seeking authority to advertise. This might move the project to late May or early June. DOTPF is working through pre-advertisement requirements for the Seppala Drive and Fairbanks International Airport projects. He said there are issues to address; however, the Fairbanks International Airport project is nearing internal review status. 2:56:10 PM MR. BECK advanced to slide 24 and provided an overview of the Northern region TAS for October 2025 to April 2026. Slide 24 contains a table showing project names, current TAS date, engineering estimates (high and low), and various other data points. He said AGC requested a yearly overview and a forecast for the winter and early spring for 2026. He highlighted the Richardson Highway project, which is higher risk. He explained that DOTPF is working with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on a highway easement deed. This would transfer the land to DOTPF and provide DOTPF right-of-way to build the project. The project is considered "at risk" until DOTPF receives approval. He directed attention to the projects that have not reached 95 percent review completion and said this is not an indication that those projects will be delayed. The yellow risk level indicates areas where resources and staffing should be prioritized in order to complete utility agreements, environmental documents, etc. 2:58:39 PM SENATOR KIEHL commented that airports are doing well and asked for an update on getting projects to bid, particularly with respect to highways and bridges. He shared his understanding that there is $30-$60 million out to bid and surmised that DOTPF has not met the confidence level predicted in February. 2:59:40 PM MR. MILLS briefly explained his method to determine whether DOTPF has reached the level of projects requested by AGC and others. He opined that DOTPF has reached that level. He acknowledged that some elements predicted in February are not present; however, he pointed out that some of the missing elements are outside of the control of DOTPF. He said DOTPF will push to ensure those projects move forward and offered the Northern region Richardson Highway project (which is dependent upon a highway easement deed from BLM) as one example. 3:00:59 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN turned the discussion to the upcoming August redistribution. He asked how DOTPF is progressing toward the goal of capturing the full $126 million in available redistribution funds. He noted that DOTPF previously expressed a high level of confidence and asked if anything has changed. He asked about actions the Legislature could take to help DOTPF reach this goal. 3:01:22 PM MR. MILLS said that DOTPF and FHWA are focused on ensuring that DOTPF is preparing for - and attempting to capture - all possible August redistribution funds (pending STIP Amendment 2). 3:02:18 PM MR. PANNONE agreed that DOTPF is focused on capturing the entirety of the August redistribution funds. He noted several changes in 2025, including flexible funding options and working with metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) to shift funds in new ways. He described several ways DOTPF is working to ensure concerns are addressed well ahead of time. He expressed high confidence that DOTPF is doing everything possible and is on track to capture the August redistribution funds. 3:03:30 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN referred to a letter DOTPF received from engineers and AGC outlining shared language for metrics and progress measurements. He asked if DOTPF is willing to adopt that language in order to ensure clear communication regarding where projects are in the process. MR. MILLS replied that DOTPF is open to this. He shared his understanding that some of the some of the elements addressed in that letter were related to DOTPF sharing data that DOTPF is collecting. Other concerns were related to the Data Modernization and Innovation Office (DMIO). He stated that DOTPF is seeking information from contractors to ensure visibility of their element of project delivery. He opined that all parties would benefit from a better understanding of all links in the chain. 3:05:09 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN thanked the presenters. 3:05:41 PM There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Bjorkman adjourned the Senate Transportation Standing Committee meeting at 3:05 p.m.